The present description relates generally to temperature sensing devices such as thermostats, etc. More specifically, the present description relates to mounting devices for sensors in temperature sensing devices.
Climate control systems, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, typically include one or more thermostats to monitor, for example, an ambient air temperature within a particular room or space within a building to provide feedback as to whether the air temperature of the room needs to be adjusted to satisfy a predetermined set point. The thermostat is typically configured such that a temperature sensor is housed within an enclosure to sense the temperature of the air passing over, through, or in contact with the enclosure. The climate control system may then compare this air temperature to the predetermined set point to determine if the air temperature of the room needs to be adjusted to satisfy the predetermined setpoint. Typically, the temperature sensor is interconnected with a processor circuit to accomplish this function. The temperature sensor can be either indirectly coupled or directly secured to the processor circuit which includes a plurality of interconnecting members (or conductive wires). The processor circuit is coupled to the housing and is enclosed therein.
For convenience, the thermostat may be mounted to a wall or other structure within a space or room. However, when the thermostat is mounted to the surface of an outside wall or another location where the wall surface is significantly warmer or colder than the air temperature of the space or room, there may be substantial differences between the air temperature measured by the thermostat and the actual ambient air temperature of the space or room. Further, air flow through the thermostat may be minimal due to a low profile enclosure designed such that the thermostat is minimally noticeable and does not project undesirably from the wall or other mounting location. Under these conditions, the climate control system may perform inefficiently because the temperature measured by the thermostat may not be the ambient air temperature of the room, but rather a temperature somewhere between the air temperature of the room and the wall surface temperature. Previous attempts to solve this problem include affixing the sensor against a surface of the temperature sensing device housing opposite the mounting structure with an adhesive. This surface is generally planar or flat. In this arrangement extension of the sensor into the room or space is, however, limited by the dimensions of the housing which—in order to provide a low profile appearance—typically affords minimal area. Thus there is need for a device for mounting a sensor within a temperature sensing device so that the temperature sensing device may compensate for mounting surface temperature effects.